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Mining town Kiruna preparing to move

The old town center of Kiruna will soon be history. A new center will be built in safe distance from the mines.

Swedish mining company LKAB will invest €415.5 million in the moving of Kiruna town center away from its iron ore lode. Construction of the new Kiruna town center will start in June this year.

Location

LKAB and the administration of Kiruna municipality have concluded an agreement on construction of the new Kiruna town center. The rich lode the mining company is extracting its iron ore from runs under the city center and the town could risk sinking into the cracks left by the mine. The decision to move the city center was made years ago and the inhabitants of Kiruna have slowly started to prepare themselves for the dramatic changes.

Originally the estimates said that the first houses in the city center would have to be demolished within 15-20 years, starting from year 2023. However, new estimates from geologists in LKAB in 2012 showed that the production in LKAB’s underground mines could reach the bedrock beneath the town center already in 2018, and the plans for moving had to be speeded up.

Construction of the new Kiruna town center will start in June 2014 and is planned to take seven years, SVT reports.

The list of buildings the mining company will pay for in the new town center includes a high school, fire station, community center, library and swimming hall. LKAB has allocated a total of 3,74 billion Swedish kronor (€415.5 million) for this purpose.

“We are finally starting. Already this summer we will start building our new town center,” Head of the Kiruna Municipal Board Kristina Zakrisson says to P4 Norrbotten. “Now we can build a Kiruna that is smarter, more effective and durable.”

4000 new residences will be built for people that are forces to move away from their houses in the mining area. Kiruna’s old church will be moved from its current location to the new center.